


Summer Sun, Something's Begun

by orochiis



Category: Persona 5
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Summer!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-03
Updated: 2018-07-03
Packaged: 2019-06-01 19:39:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15150386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orochiis/pseuds/orochiis
Summary: Akira comes back from the country and acts as a catalyst for Ryuji to work up his courage.





	Summer Sun, Something's Begun

**Author's Note:**

> I've never written persona before apologies if this SUCKS but i think its like. decent.
> 
> Wasn’t part of the plan, but happy birthday Ryuji!!! (I didn’t realise until after I posted his lmao)

The summer brings sweltering heat to Tokyo, and the streets of Shibuya are heaving with tourists. It is the middle of July, and Ann and Ryuji wait impatiently outside the train station for the most highly anticipated visitor of the summer. Makoto had initially agreed to pick him up, but her last class before summer had clashed with his already booked train, and so his two friends had jumped at the chance to meet him.

The air is muggy, but well dressed for the occasion (and under the fan at the train station’s entrance), Ann and Ryuji don’t struggle in the slightest. Juice in hand, they look effortlessly cool against the city backdrop. When the train pulls in, they stand to attention, and soon the frizzy hair of Ann’s former classmate appears out of the crowd.

“Akira!” Ryuji calls, waving him over. With a grin on his face, the former leader of the Phantom Thieves makes his way to his two friends, and doesn’t hesitate in wrapping them in a tight embrace.

“Good to see you both.”

“Good to see you too!” Ann says, the smile on her face unwavering. “It’s been far too long.”

“Well, I’m here to stay. It’s been a while getting everything sorted, but I can finally start university here in Tokyo. Sojiro is letting me stay in Leblanc again.”

“Having a criminal record really stopped that process, huh. Well, I’m glad they’re letting you in now!” Ann says, and Akira nods.

“I have a lot to catch up on, though. But... well, I will still have free time.”

“So, what you’re saying is... Phantom Thief reunion at your place? Hell yes!”

“Ryuji!” Ann hisses, elbowing him in the side. “I know all that stuff is done, but we still have to keep quiet about it!”

“He’s right, though,” Akira laughs. “You’re welcome to come over any time.”

“We should get going, though. Futaba-chan said she was super excited to see you again, and said she’d be very disappointed if you don’t get back on time.”

“I’ve been threatened too, and it wasn’t by that Sakura,” Akira says with a grimace.

* * *

The streets of Yongen Jaya have not changed since he was last here, Akira notes, with the tiny supermarket and the batting cages and Takemi’s doctor’s office all looking the exact same as when he left here over a year ago. Ann and Ryuji babble on excitedly as they wander to Leblanc, and when the bell over the door rings, Akira is nearly knocked off his feet.

Futaba has attached herself to his middle, and he can barely get inside the shop. He can glance around, though, and sees Yusuke sitting at the counter, a cup of coffee in his hand and a sketchbook in front of him. He waves, and Akira nods back, his arms pinned to his sides by Futaba’s bone crushing hug.

“I have missed you so much!” She cries, scampering back into the shop to allow Akira, Ryuji and Ann inside. Morgana sits on the countertop, though Sojiro has told him many times he’s not allowed. The owner himself seems to absent, along with Haru.

“I missed you too,” Akira says, patting her on the head as he heads behind the counter, dropping his bag at the end. He grabs his apron from before and washes his hands before grabbing a few mugs. “Same orders as before?” He asks, to be met with excited nods.

Back home, he had secured a job in a coffee shop, though not as fancy as this one, so his skills weren’t rusty when he inevitably returned to Leblanc. It doesn’t take a lot of effort now to make coffee- he has all the skill he needs to do it with his eyes closed. Soon, coffee is set out for Ann and himself, as well as a refill for Yusuke. He grabs cold drinks from the refrigerator for Futaba and Ryuji, before sitting down himself, in their usual booth.

“I leave for ten minutes, he comes home and takes over,” Sojiro says, sighing as he enters the café. His complaints are made in jest; however, as he pats Akira on the shoulder as he walks past to hang his hat on the rack. “Glad you’re back, Akira. You better not get in any trouble while you’re here.”

“I imagine it’ll all be studying,” Akira quips, and Sojiro laughs, not disagreeing.

“Well, you have a whole summer before that, so make it a good one.”

“Glad I’ve your permission.”

* * *

It doesn’t take long for them to start planning for the summer. Ann’s modelling schedule is flexible, she says, and while Ryuji has a job at the convenience store in Shibuya, he only works Sunday afternoon and Wednesday night. Futaba doesn’t have a job and neither does Yusuke, but Akira has agreed to pick up shifts at Leblanc over his months staying there. Sojiro cuts in while they’re having this conversation and says the shifts are flexible, which leads to the excited murmur loudening.

Makoto and Haru arrive halfway through the calendar planning, fresh from the university campus, book bags still in hand. Being the gentleman he is, Akira moves on to a bar stool so Makoto can sit in the booth, but not before squeezing her hand and pressing a quick kiss to her lips. Futaba makes a comment about PDA, which Akira glares at. The brunette swipes the calendar from the table to evaluate their plans, her eyebrows rising at the first activity pencilled in.

“The beach?” She asks.

“Uh, yeah. It’s, like, tradition, right?” Ryuji points out, and she nods her head in understanding.

“It’ll be busy, though.”

“Oh, relax, Makoto,” Haru interjects. “I haven’t had the chance to go to the beach with all of you before, so I’m looking forward to it.”

“And the weather is perfect now,” Yusuke comments absently, his head still buried in his sketchbook.

“Well, I guess it’s okay with me,” Makoto sighs eventually. “At least it’s more sensible than some of your other plans here.”

“Hey, most of them were Ryuji’s,” Futaba points out with a smirk.

“Well, that explains a lot.”

* * *

The day of the beach trip opens just as warm as every other day this week, with not a trace of a cloud in the sky. The air is humid, but everyone meets at the Shibuya station ready to go to the beach without a word of complaint. If it’s possible, it feels like this day is even warmer than other days this week.

As Makoto predicted, the beach is hiving with people, and ever organised, she volunteers to go and find them a spot while everyone else changes. This year, Futaba needs no coaxing, and the moment she’s in her swimsuit she tears off towards the ocean with Haru and Yusuke running behind her. Akira, Ann and Ryuji decide to find Makoto instead, combing the beach for her. This task doesn’t prove difficult, as the biggest parasol on the beach could only belong to Makoto.

Ann sets up her towel just out from the shade of the parasol, and after slathering sun cream on, she slides her sunglasses over her eyes and lies down, watching Futaba’s antics in the sea from a safe distance. Ryuji sits beside her, not bothering with a towel. When he glances over, Makoto and Akira have disappeared, and Ann can make them out near the dots that are the others in the sea.

“You want ice cream?” Ryuji asks, attempting to make conversation with the girl who looks otherwise disinterested.

“Maybe later,” she dismisses. He looks disappointed for a split second, before perking up again.

“Do you think we could rent one of those banana boat things like last time?!”

“That didn’t really go well last time, did it? Jeez, I just hope Yusuke doesn’t buy any lobsters like last year.”

“You spend a lot of time with Yusuke now, right?”

“Well, he does a lot of portraits of me.”

“Did you ever do that nude painting he wanted?” Ryuji wonders, and gets his answer when Ann lifts her sunglasses to glare at him. “Yeesh, sorry.”

“Can you not see I’m trying to relax? What’s with the twenty questions?”

“Uh... no reason.” His tone wavers a little, and Ann sits up at that, swapping her sunglasses for the sunhat that she brought with her.

“What’s wrong, Ryuji?”

“It’s nothing,” he grins, though Ann can tell he’s lying. “I might go down to the sea.”

“Why don’t you wait for someone else to come back? Then we can go together!”

“Hell yeah! And I’m gonna buy you ice cream. I won’t take no for an answer.”

He scrambles to his feet, visibly cheered up by Ann’s swimming invitation. She smiles, glad that she’s managed to make him feel better, even if it was her that upset him in the first place. She lies back down, sunglasses on, and lifts her phone, aimlessly scrolling through her social media feed to put in time until Ryuji gets back. She’s not entirely sure where the ice cream van is, but he’ll be a while, and from what she can see, no one else is keen to get out of the ocean any time soon.

A shuffling of sand comes from in front of her, though she doesn’t bother to look round. There have been children running around all day, as well as people making their way to and from the sea. She can feel the person’s shadow cast over her, but before she has time to open her mouth, they speak first.

“Come here often?”

“Oh shut up, Ryuji. For that, I think I deserve your ice cream too.” She tosses her phone onto Makoto’s blanket and sits up again, taking the cone from Ryuji’s hand. It has sliced strawberries in it, as well as sauce and sprinkles, and Ann raises her eyebrows at the desert. “This is really fancy. You sure you can afford it?”

“Well, I have a job now, so it’s my treat. Can’t I do something nice for you?”

“I never said you couldn’t,” Ann laughs. “Thanks. It’s really nice of you.”

“I’m picking up more shifts after the summer, since my trial period ends in a few weeks. Then I can treat everyone, and not just you.”

“I’m glad I’m your experiment in spending money on other people.”

“Don’t say it like that! Makes me sound weird,” Ryuji shudders, and Ann laughs, relaxing a little. In the distance, she can see Futaba and the others beginning to emerge from the sea, and with ice cream in her hand, she jumps to her feet.

“Let’s go,” she nods towards the sea, and Ryuji agrees, hopping to his feet.

The pair all but run towards the ocean, passing everyone else on the way. The water isn’t that cold, but Ann still insists on just dipping her toe in first. Her ice cream is nearly finished by the time Ryuji has had enough of waiting and throws himself wholeheartedly into the sea, soaking Ann in the process. Taking this as a personal attack, she hurriedly finishes her ice cream, before wading a little further into the water.

Ryuji goads her, yelling that there’s no way she can reach him, but this only spurs her on, and soon she’s gone out far enough that the water reaches her shoulders. She does her best to splash him in response, but he has the upper hand as usual, and causes a splash that completely soaks her hair. She begins to glare at him, but quickly finds the humour in the situation and can’t help but laugh.

After a while of racing and splashing each other and joining in with some other people’s water polo game, Ann gets tired, and treads water while Ryuji keeps swimming. Eventually, he makes his way back to her, and looks out to the horizon pensively.

“Are you gonna tell me what’s on your mind?” Ann asks, and he turns to her, a little surprised that she’s still pursuing the matter.

“I told ya, it’s nothing.”

“I can tell you’re lying, Ryuji. We’ve known each other long enough.”

“That’s part of it, I guess.”

“What do you mean?”

“We’ve known each other from middle school, and... I dunno, I just thought something woulda happened between us by now. Like, I kinda thought you liked me, but I’m not sure if I’m projecting my feelings on to you, because sometimes it feels like you don’t like me at all and-“

Ann cuts him off by putting her hands on either side of her face. He stares at her curiously, trying to read her facial expression. His face is slightly red- whether that’s from the embarrassment of what he just admitted to her or because of the heat. She leans forward quickly, before she can change her mind and convince herself that it’s a bad idea, and kisses him.

He’s a little frozen, but he reacts quickly, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close to him. Ann’s lips are soft against his, even if they’re salty from the sea. Despite being the one enjoying it most, Ryuji pulls away first, regarding her with a smile as she opens her eyes. She can’t meet his gaze, a little embarrassed about what she just did.

“Thank you, Lady Ann, for a kiss most sweet,” he jokes, taking her hand under the water and squeezing it gently.

“I’m sorry I made you think that I didn’t like you. That... couldn’t be farther from the truth.”

Ryuji looks like he’s won the lottery, the grin on his face wider than Ann’s ever seen. He leans in to steal another kiss, this one just a gentle peck, before he retreats, well out of punching distance. Ann begins to move towards the shore again, and Ryuji follows her, laughing at her embarrassment and refusal to meet his eye.

“Soooo.... does this make you my girlfriend?” he asks, egging her on with a grin.

“After I die of embarrassment for an hour or two, yes.”

“You’ll get over yourself quicker than that. I know you,” he says, leaning on her shoulder.

“You’re probably the biggest dork I know, Ryuji Sakamoto.”

No one else comments when the two of them hold hands the whole way back to the train station, like it was the most natural thing in the world.


End file.
